Centennial State News

There were less than 10 deaths from influenza and pneumonia reported in Colorado in the week ending Dec. 17, making up less than 1.3% of total deaths by all causes in Colorado, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the week ending Dec. 17, there were 764 deaths in the state. 16.1% of deaths were caused by heart disease, 20.7% were from cancer and 7.7% were from COVID-19. Additionally, 12.6% of deaths were from Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

Studies show doctors and medical examiners may underreport Alzheimer's disease and dementia-related conditions as the underlying cause of death on death certificates, according to the National Institute on Aging.

Once infected, older adults with dementia are likely to develop a more severe and dangerous illness. The diseases which make an older adult more vulnerable to COVID-19 are age-associated chronic conditions, according to the Bright Focus Foundation.

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Malignant neoplasms (cancerous tumor)	158	20.7
Heart disease	123	16.1
Chronic lower respiratory diseases	53	6.9
COVID-19 (multiple cause)	36	4.7
Cerebrovascular diseases	34	4.5
Alzheimer's disease	33	4.3
COVID-19 (underlying cause)	23	3
Diabetes mellitus	18	2.4
Nephritis, nephrotic syndrome and nephrosis	13	1.7
Influenza and pneumonia	< 10	< 1.3

Cause of Death	Number of Deaths	% of Total Deaths
Alzheimer disease and dementia	96	12.6